On April 8th, the Rockport Select Board is making a  decision on the fate of Memorial Park and the new library parking lot. The only plans they are considering at this time involve clear cutting the park’s beautiful heritage trees and paving over 40% of the green space. The design has been deemed unsafe for pedestrians and motor vehicle traffic and failed to meet DOT Minimum Safety Standards. The current plan requires excessive tax dollars for unnecessary infrastructure changes including moving roads, intersection redesign, and the relocation of a monument, fire hydrant, utility and flag polls.

On March 25th, an alternate site plan, “Library In The Park” was submitted that preserves our heritage trees, increases Memorial Park green space by 500 square feet, eliminates current safety concerns, and saves tax payers $100,00-$200,000.

The “Library In The Park” design unites the new library with an expanded, uninterrupted, canopied green space through which visitors can safely navigate and enjoy. The health, lifestyle, and economic benefits of green spaces and infrastructure are widely recognized and should not be underestimated.

We can not stand by and allow the unnecessary destruction of heritage trees and green space. The current proposal would not only greatly diminish the character of our town, it lowers the quality of life for community members and visitors navigating this space.

Join us in telling the Board of selectmen to protect our heritage trees and park space, save our tax dollars, and make safety and livability a priority by supporting the "Library In The Park" site proposal. Our community spaces matter, thank you so much for caring.